The stable isotope ecology of mycalesine butterflies: implications for plant-insect co-evolution

摘要

1. One of the most dramatic examples of biome shifts in the geological record is the rapid replacement of C-3 vegetation by C-4 grasses in (sub-) tropical regions during the Late Miocene-Pliocene. Climate-driven biome shifts of this magnitude are expected to have a major impact on diversification and ecological speciation, especially in grazing taxa. Mycalesine butterflies are excellent candidates to explore the evolutionary impact of these C-3/C-4 shifts on insect grazer communities.